Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg Is First Men's College Basketball Player To Sign NIL Deal With Gatorade

Cooper Flagg has officially become the first men's college basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade. And he hasn't even played a game yet.

The consensus five-star prospect and the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class is currently gearing up for his first (and likely only) season at Duke. Flagg is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and, at just 17 years old, he is already very, very rich.

Gatorade announced the partnership with Flagg on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 forward joins Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, UConn hoops star Paige Buekers, and USC women's basketball player Juju Watkins in the "G-Fam’s" group of NCAA stars.

"For me, it was a huge opportunity coming from a family that drank Gatorade pretty much my whole life," Flagg said in a news release. "I grew up with my brothers drinking Gatorade almost every day. So I think having that kind of connection and then just aligning myself with the brand that is very high level and about the right stuff and does it the right way."

The Gatorade signing comes just two months after Flagg inked an athletic apparel deal with New Balance, which has deep roots and manufacturing plants in Flagg’s home state of Maine.

READ: Cooper Flagg Pulls Stunner, Signs With New Balance Over Nike And Adidas

Flagg arrived in Durham, N.C., as the most celebrated freshman since Zion Williamson. He was the national high school player of the year (and, fittingly, the Gatorade Player of the Year) following a senior season at Montverde Academy in Florida, during which he averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals and shot 55.1% from the field.

On3 currently estimates an NIL value of $2.6 million for the Blue Devils' phenom, making Flagg the top earner in the sport and fifth in the NCAA.